After his bruising defeat in the 1980 presidential election, Carter added another title to his resume: distinguished professor at Emory University in Atlanta. Carter left Washington politics behind but sought to use his platform to continue to advocate for better access to democracy and public health outcomes across the globe.
The year after his presidential term ended, he partnered with Emory to create the Carter Center, starting his work from an office in the campus library before eventually moving to a campus nestled between Emory and downtown Atlanta. He also began a yearly tradition of speaking with first-year students at the Carter Town Hall.
Starting in 1982, he spoke each fall for nearly 40 years to students, where he would share a mix of anecdotes about his life's work and answer questions both serious and silly.
In 2018, he said that his preference for peanut butter on sandwiches was smooth, while the crunchy variety was better "for munching during the day on a cracker," and the following year admitted he never tried almond butter — and never intended to.
But Carter also used the speeches and other campus events to deliver frank assessments on his own time in office and political events of the day, reflecting on failures during the Iran hostage crisis, bemoaning the impact of gerrymandering and unlimited campaign spending on polarization and offering an unvarnished look at his life and legacy.
In a 2019 video interview with then-Emory President Claire Sterk, Carter said Emory was one of the best relationships he had in his life, other than his wife, Rosalynn.
At one of his last town halls before retiring from public life, Carter said this of his legacy:
"I would like to be remembered as a champion of human rights, as a president who kept our country at peace, and as having been a distinguished professor at Emory University."
Copyright 2024 NPR
